The final steps for you incredible dreamers who aspire to be foreign language teachers are here! By now, you have realized that each step of the process breezes by faster than expected. After you have read part 1, and part 2 begin the final steps below.
8. Be prompt for your interview even if the employer isn’t. Many department managers have to deal with student concerns and do interviewing at the same time. Know that some interviewers may not know much English so they may be very short. Chances are you will get lots of job offers. You must be choosy and remember the requirement checklist that you made. Does the school meet your requirement? If not, how much will compromising affect your ability to enjoy your year abroad?
9. Even if you need to borrow money, make sure you have at least $800-1000 to live off of when you come. Ideally you will not come with less than $1000. Once you come to Korea, the school will need to do paperwork for the Korean government on their end so that they can issue you a paycheck and set up a bank account for you. Most schools pay once a month and this can mean that you miss you a pay period, but you should stay on top of the exact time your pay will come through and never miss more than one pay period. Additionally, there are some fees you may have to pay the month you arrive in Korea to the immigration office or the hospital for your health check for example. Having money put away for your trip is an important part of the planning processes.
10. When you decide on an employer, make sure you read and re-read the contract. Look at it with your parents, your best friend and your mentor to see if they can find any missing information or red flags. Everything should be as clear as possible. If it’s not, communicate that to your recruiter and ask for clarification as much as you need to. Make sure that any changes are added to the contract in writing. You can even have your recruiter do a bit of negotiating for you in some instances. Always be honest with yourself and make sure that what you are agreeing to doesn’t contradict the list of requirements that you made in step three. This journey is about enjoying the next year of your life and doing something enormously rewarding.
Good luck on your adventure! You are embarking on a journey most people only dream about. Be sure to leave comments below so that we can address any questions you have in a future article, and be sure to hit the subscribe button above for more tips on teaching abroad and information on world travel.
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